Pay-at-the-pump

This is an Urban Legend which first appeared in the US in 1998 and has recently resurfaced.

The original (1998) hoax message appears below:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR SAFETY-PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ.

A friend stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank after paying at the pump and started to leave the attendant inside came over the speaker. He told her that something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay.

The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She told him that and was getting ready to leave but the attendant once again urged her to come in to pay or else. She proceeded to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully: He told her that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and he had called the police. She immediately became scared and looked out there in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out.

The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman's body part. One way they are doing this is crawling under girls/women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the night time. Then they are cutting the lady's ankles to disable them in order to kidnap them, kill and dismember them.

The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women to kill and dismember them. Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible, don't go alone! This is real!! The message:

1. ALWAYS lock your car doors, even if you're gone for just a second.

2. Check underneath your car when approaching it for re-entry, and check in the back before getting in.

3. Always be aware of your surroundings and other individuals in your general vicinity, particularly at night! Send this to many girls so your friend will not be the next one.

Please ignore any messages regarding this hoax/urban legend and please do not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on these messages only serves to further propagate it.